Battle of the Egadi: Two rostrums and other artifacts resurface

Last Updated: August 24, 2023

#Trapani
New archaeological findings have been made in the sea around the island of Levanzo (Trapani), the site of the Battle of the Aegates: the ongoing research campaign has led to the recovery of two bronze rams called “Aegates 26” and “Aegates 27”. They were found at a depth of about 80 meters and were recovered with the help of the research vessel “Hercules”, which has over the years facilitated the identification and recovery of numerous artifacts related to the important historical event of the 3rd century BC. In this latest campaign, divers have also recovered 15 Montefortino helmets, 20 cheek and face protectors for the helmets, a sword, about a hundred bronze coins, and, for the first time in over twenty years of research, 7 silver coins. All the artifacts have been transferred to the emergency laboratory set up at the former Florio factory in Favignana and are already being examined by archaeologists from the Soprintendenza del mare. The research activities in the sea area between Levanzo and Favignana are being conducted by a team formed by the Soprintendenza del mare of the Sicilian Region, the American RPM Nautical Foundation, and the SDSS – The society for documentation of submerged sites. The seabed of the Aegates once again proves to be a precious treasure trove of information to understand the naval battle between the Romans and the Carthaginians. The discovery made by Sebastiano Tusa, who passed away prematurely in 2019, continues to receive increasingly important confirmations, validating the archaeologist’s intuition that led to the identification of the battlefield that marked Roman domination over the Mediterranean.